


Four Little Words

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Fraxus [38]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-20 02:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17613614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: It wasn't a particularly hard question especially as he was reasonably sure of the outcome, just four simple words as he tried to tell himself over and over again – four simple words – ‘will you marry me?’So, why wouldn’t they come?





	Four Little Words

   The ring had been burning a hole in his pocket for months now, bought only a couple of days after their near miss during the battle against the Dragons. It had been something he had been toying with for a long time, holding off because whenever he looked for a ring, he had never been able to find something that represented his partner. Something worthy of him. However, he’d had more motivation after that battle, unable to forget the terror that had engulfed him when Freed had stepped forward to take a blow that he had been too slow to react to. In the split second that he had been forced to watch Freed die right in front of his eyes, to protect him, he had realised that there was no way he could live without the other man.

    At the time he had thought that he had reached that realisation too late, but time had shifted, and by some miracle, he had been granted a second chance. And as he’d clung to his mate in the aftermath, feeling the beat of his heart, and feeling Freed’s shaky breaths against his neck, he had vowed to make sure that he never lost him again.

    Then he had found it. The ring that he had been searching for all this time, in a tiny jeweller in Crocus that was operating out of a small wagon as the shop was repaired. It was simple – a plain silver band, with a small emerald in the centre that had reminded him of his mate, and with trembling hands, he had bought it on the spot.

     However, even though he had the ring, the thought of asking Freed had his stomach tying itself in knots, to the point where his travel sickness felt like a mild inconvenience. It wasn’t that he doubted in the slightest what Freed’s response would be, even if he often found himself wondering what he had done to deserve the Rune Mage. Nor was it a particularly hard question, just four simple words as he tried to tell himself over and over again – four simple words – ‘will you marry me?’

 So, why wouldn’t they come?

   He knew that words weren’t his greatest strength at the best of times, although he had been getting better, primarily due to the Raijinshuu… to Freed, but this nervousness. This hesitation. The fact that every time he tried to get the words out he would find himself choking up, and he knew that his partner was getting suspicious, unable to miss the worried, sideways glances, and the way Freed was there, waiting, ready to help even if he didn’t understand why, and it made him hate the hesitation more.

_Why can’t I say it?_

****

_I nearly lost him…again._

     He had nearly lost Freed, hell he had almost lost all three of them, but when they gradually pulled out of the group hug, he found that he only had eyes for Freed. There was a burning in his chest that had nothing to do with his healing body, and there was a stinging in his eyes as he glanced down for a minute. _I nearly lost him._  That realisation was terrifying enough, but it was worse because he had heard them talking as he drifted towards awareness, clawing himself back from the darkness that had kept him away for far too long. He had heard the guilt in the Rune Mage’s voice, as loud as a shout, in his partner’s quiet voice, and just how far Freed had thought about going to make amends for his perceived failure and terror fluttered in his chest once more at the mere thought of it. _I can’t lose him._

 “Can we have a moment?” He asked softly, not wanting to ruin the moment they had just shared because he had needed to see that they were all okay. Had needed to hold them close, commit their smells and voices to memory once more, adding steel to his resolve to protect them. However, Bickslow and Evergreen nodded easily enough, albeit with an anxious glance between the pair of them, before retreating with quiet promises to return later, and he knew they understood when the latter helpfully shoved Freed towards him with a faux apology. He waited for the door to close, and their footsteps to move away, smiling as he heard the reluctance in their steps and the way their feet dragged, knowing that their concern extended to Freed too.

    Satisfied that they were alone, he turned his attention back to Freed, saddened to see that the other man was carefully avoiding looking at him, although he also hadn’t moved away from where he had come to a halt beside the bed. “Freed?” The Rune Mage still refused to look at him, tension in his lithe frame that had Laxus worried that he was seconds away from bolting, and before he had thought about what he was doing, he had reached out to grab Freed’s hand, gently pulling him down onto the bed. “Look at me please,” he pleaded, fingers remaining loosely curled around Freed’s wrist.

“I-I…” Freed had never been able to deny that tone, which was why Laxus made sure to use it sparingly. Still, it had Freed lifting his head to meet his gaze, although his voice seemed to catch in his throat. That was enough for the Dragon-slayer for the moment, and he smiled, the one that he reserved for his partner, before reaching out with the hand not holding Freed to cusp Freed’s cheeks. Startled when his searching fingers found dampness, the flicker of shame in Freed’s eyes taking on greater meaning and biting his lip, Laxus carefully brushed the tears away.

 “Freed…”

“I’m sorry,” Freed cut him, voice quiet and uncertain in a way that it hadn’t been since the night they’d said their private farewells after the Battle of Fairy Tail, and he looked away again, although he still made no effort to pull away from Laxus. “I…”

“Freed, you did nothing wrong,” Laxus was the one to interrupt this time. “I asked you to get us all home, and you did.” There was a hint of steel in his voice now, although he knew that words alone wouldn’t help right now, because he could remember how Freed had looked back then. The terror and desperation in his eyes when he had realised what Laxus was about to do and worse that there was nothing he could do to help or stop him, and he knew therein lay part of the problem. Freed was strong, he had honed his skills and blade, wanting to stand beside Laxus as an equal, and this time that hadn’t been enough. Not because he wasn’t strong enough, or because he lacked the skill, but because of a unique quirk in their magic, and he squeezed his partner’s wrist. “There was nothing more that you could have done, and I needed to do what I did. I had to protect the town. I had to protect you, even though it doesn’t appear like I did a good job with either of those goals.”

_I could have lost him…_

“Laxus, that’s not true,” Freed was looking at him now. “I wouldn’t have got you all home if it wasn’t for you, and what you did.” Then his voice and gaze dropped once more. “Laxus, I don’t want you to protect me, not like that.” The hand not caught in Laxus’ grip was moving now, reaching out until it found the material of Laxus’ shirt, and biting deep into the fabric as Freed took a shuddering breath. “If I had lost you…”

“Believe me I know,” Laxus murmured. He knew that pain all too well, and for a moment his mind was full of dragons and dark mist, and he was trembling as he released Freed in favour of pulling him into a tight embrace, pressing a kiss into soft, green hair. “I know.” It was at that moment that something eased in his chest, certainty settling over him like a shield against the doubts and hesitation that had held him captive until now and he took a deep breath, unaware that he had tensed until Freed looked up at him in concern.

 “Laxus?”

“One moment.” He moved his grip until he was still holding Freed with one arm, even as he reached over and fumbled with his coat which someone had carefully folded and placed on the bedside table. It took him several efforts to find the pocket that he was looking for, hampered by his grip on Freed, but there was no way he was letting go of the other man. Not now, not ever, and he could feel the words that he had been fighting to say for so long bubbling up just beneath the surface as he finally felt velvet beneath his searching fingers. “Got it!” He declared triumphantly as he drew the box out of the pocket, and pulling it closer, even as he felt Freed go stiff in his hold.

 “Laxus…” _Hope, longing, joy..._

“Consider it a promise,” Laxus’ voice was little more than a whisper, almost lost above the roaring that was flooding his ears as he slowly opened the box. “A promise that we won’t lose each other no matter what.” He nearly dropped it, trembling even with the certainty that gave him the courage to meet Freed’s gaze as his partner lifted his head to look at him, eyes glistening, and expression of wonder on his face, and this time the words came as easy as breathing. “Will you marry me?”

 


End file.
